Engine 01
by TRikiD
Summary: Sequel to I'm the Controller. Ever since Thomas' death, the residents of Sodor have never felt the same. Some sensed an unyielding feeling of dread, while others chose to forget. But a mysterious newcomer brings up the past, proving to everyone around him that he is more than what he seems.
1. Chapter 1 - Henry and the Red Engine

**I forgot to mention in the last story: If you ever want to make any fanwork (animations, art, etc.)of this story or any other stories in this series, feel free to. All I ask is that you make sure to credit me. But if you do have an account on this site, go ahead and PM me or leave a review to talk about it.**

 **Anyway, on with the story.**

* * *

Engine 01

Chapter 1 - Henry and the Red Engine

The moon shone brightly down on a small and misty island, creating a beautiful, sparkling blanket of mist all across the thick forest. Perfectly blending in with the mist was a silver engine, an E2 Class in fact, with a bold zero painted on his side.

His red eyes glowed with determination, as they skimmed every rail he traveled down, but they were all silent. Just then, he felt a disturbance from deep within, perking his interest as he set forth to leave the island.

But just as he arrived at the tunnel that led off of the island, a dark purple aura grabbed both pairs of his buffers, effortlessly stopping him.

"What's happening? Let me go!" the engine growled, as a feminine giggle echoed around him.

"Did you miss me, Timothy? I've missed you."

Timothy recognized the voice, but it was too late. Before he could move or speak, purple flames burst all around him, burning him until he turned into ashes and disappeared.

* * *

 **Many years later…**

The Island of Sodor thrived for years on end, most of its residents completely forgetting the terrible reign of Thomas the tank engine; though, some refused to forget. Sir Topham Hatt kept the number one engine close to his heart, even refusing to replace him on his branch line.

But Sir Topham knew there was work to be done, and made sure that the rest of his engines were still on time and really useful.

Henry, for instance, was still the primary engine for taking the Flying Kipper, and at night, as per usual.

 _At least Carly and Cranky are more focused,_ Henry thought while waiting for the said cranes to finish loading up the last of the Flying Kipper. Carly and Cranky found comfort in each other, and with Diesel's help, Cranky found the courage to propose to Carly. Of course, she said yes, and the two have never worked together more harmoniously.

"Alright, that's the last of it, Henry!" Carly informed as a random dark purple engine puffed by, but drew little to no attention.

"Oh, and one more thing, Henry! Your usual route's been flooded from the recent storms, so you'll have to through Henry's Forest," Cranky warned.

"Thank you!" Henry thanked before puffing steam and turning his wheels, setting off to deliver the goods train.

* * *

Henry heeded Cranky's advice and stayed away from his usual route, and turned at a junction to take the route through the forest.

But Henry always felt rather wary when going through the forest, and it didn't help that it was dark out. Slowly but surely, Henry persisted to get the job done.

Out of nowhere, some high-pitched yelps echoed throughout the shaky trees when the wind blew through them. Henry shivered from the cold and the eerie feeling, slowing down even more. The long howl of a wolf rang through the chilled night air, finally making the large engine stop.

Henry gulped in fear, "H-Hello?"

There was nothing but silence for the next for moments, sans for the chirping crickets and gentle breezes. But just as Henry began to move again, the bushes rustled as something red darted out and ran onto the tracks.

Henry shrieked in fear and closed his eyes, but nothing happened. He slowly opened one eye, and he was instantly amazed by what he saw. Standing still in the light of his lamp was a beautiful red fox, as it stared at Henry with its bright blue eyes.

"Oh…it was only you. Silly little thing, run along now," Henry chuckled sheepishly, and the fox wasted no time in disappearing into the bushes on the other side of the tracks.

Feeling quite relieved, Henry sighed and smiled and continued on. But the tranquility was short-lived…

"Hello? Is someone there?!" a hoarse voice called out from the distance, but Henry heard it loud and clear.

Scared but curious, the said green engine inched towards the voice, "Where are you?"

"I-I…I don't know. I can't see anything…except trees."

"Are you on any tracks?"

"Yes."

Henry's eyes widened in realization, "I know where you are! Hold on!"

He puffed forward for a little while until he came to an old siding that was overgrown and hidden by shrubbery; Henry then uncoupled from his goods train and carefully pushed past the thick foliage.

"Can you still here me?" Henry called.

"Yes! You sound much closer!"

"So do you! I'm almost there…"

As Henry puffed forward, he felt the ground sink below him. He soon stopped when he realized that the tracks came to a sudden stop, so he squinted and looked around with what little light he had coming from his lamp. But when Henry looked down, he gasped.

Trapped down in a sinkhole with the rest of the tracks was a small E2 Class engine, just like Thomas, with rustic red paint and black and yellow stripes on his buffers; a huge tree had fallen into the hole, and was laying atop his smoke box, which created a nasty dent. And his face…there was something so familiar about it, but Henry couldn't think about that right now.

"Are you ok?" the green engine gently asked.

"Not really. I can't move," the red E2 answered meekly.

"What's your name?"

"I…" The red engine's eyes moved around, trying to recall anything, but to no avail. "I don't know. I-I can't remember a thing, or how I even got here."

Henry felt terrible for the mysterious engine, but smiled softly to reassure him, "Don't worry. I'll take you to the Steam Works. I have a good friend there that'll be sure to fix you."

* * *

The next day, Victor slowly puffed around the Steam Works, checking to make sure everything was in perfect working order. It had been quite slow, and the Cuban engine was growing rather board.

But, just like the old days…CRASH!

"Kelly!" Victor shouted in exasperation.

"Sorry, Boss!" a sheepish voice called out.

Victor knew he couldn't ignore the fact that he needed a new crane, so he agreed, albeit reluctantly, to hire a new one. Kelly was a Ransom & Rapier six-ton crane, just like Kevin, but was a bit younger and had bright pink paint. She reminded Victor of Kevin countless times, with her bubbly attitude, clumsy nature and sputtering engine. But secretly, Victor was glad to have a new crane/mentee again.

"Victor?!" The said narrow gauge engine quickly recognized Henry's voice, as the said large green engine rolled partially in.

"Henry, hello! What brings you here? Did you get the wrong coal again?" Victor asked with a smirk.

"Oh, no. I'm not the one who needs help," Henry explained and puffed in some more, revealing the young red engine he found in Henry's forest sitting on his flatbed.

But as soon as he saw the E2 engine, Victor's eyes went wider than dinner plates and his jaw dropped. He couldn't believe his eyes; he thought this engine was gone, along with-.

"So, you're Victor, right?" the E2 engine asked out of curiosity, "Henry told me a lot about you. Can you really fix any engine?"

Thinking fast to prevent an extremely awkward silence, Victor stuttered a little before clearing his throat, "Y-Yes, I am and I can." He then looked to Henry. "Thank you for bringing him here so soon. He's in very good hands. Now, go on and continue your work, My Friend."

* * *

That night, the new red engine was tended to; his firebox and smoke box cleaned out, his boiler was filled with water, his buffers and wheels mended, and he would be repainted tomorrow. Victor promised him this, as well as much time as he wanted to rehabilitate at the Steam Works.

But after all of the employees turned in for the night, and the whole building fell silent, there was still one important matter to attend to. Victor told a workman to contact Sir Topham Hatt and tell him to come by as soon as he could, but under private circumstances.

"What was so important to deal with in the middle of the night, Victor?" Sir Topham questioned in annoyance.

"You remember Mavis and her— _problem_?" Victor began and led the large man towards the back of the building.

"Yes. But I thought she left and took it with her."

"You and I both."

When Victor finished his sentence, he stopped in a ward with the red E2 engine sound asleep inside. It took a moment for Sir Topham Hatt to figure it out, but once he realized what it was, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"He looks just like-."

"Thomas," Victor quietly cut him off, leading Sir Topham back out, as to not disturb the young patient.

Sir Topham Hatt shook his head in disbelief, "How did this happen?"

"I wish I knew, Sir. The last time I saw them, Mavis said they were taking the next boat to the mainland."

"Were there no witnesses?"

"I'm afraid not. No one went with them."

"Well, then—there's nothing else to do but to take him in until we figure out what happened," Sir Topham sighed in defeat.

"Are you going to put him to work, too?" Victor inquired.

"We'll see. If the other engines find out who he is, they will likely shun him. And if he found out, too, I'm sure there would be drastic consequences."

* * *

 **Pay attention to the smaller details, and you may find a clue.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	2. Chapter 2 - New Paint, New Name

Chapter 2 - New Paint, New Name

 _The sky was dark, the rain was freezing and felt like thousands of tiny spikes, and the wind was thunderous. The train tracks below were slick with water, especially when a sharp turn came up._

 _There was too much momentum in the turn, tilting over as sparks flew out from underneath. In the blink of an eye, the river rapids in the ditch came closer, creating a large splash and an immediate feeling of frigid numbness._

 _The shock was too overwhelming, and the last of the air bubbles fluttered up to the surface. But before the darkness engulfed all, the water sunk below and dripped away before the solid tracks could be felt again._

 _And there, standing only a few feet away on the tracks, was a silver engine with red eyes and a sinister grin._

 _"_ _How lucky Looks like we've both found what we were looking for."_

* * *

"Found…what we…"

"Hey! Hey, wake up!" Kelly whisper-shouted at the new patient, who was muttering in his sleep. But when that didn't work, she tried knocking her crane against his boiler, which woke him with a start.

"W-What happened?!" he stuttered in surprise.

"Nothing, nothing at all!" Kelly quickly reassured, "You just looked like you were having a nightmare, that's all."

"Yeah, actually, I was," the red engine admitted.

"What was it about?"

"Well, there was this storm, and I slipped. The next thing I knew, I fall into this river…and I can't remember the rest."

"Ooh, how scary. Have you ever had such an accident before?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Kelly," Victor's stern voice came as he puffed in, "Make yourself useful, and go unload the flatbeds of supplies."

"Yes, Boss." With that, the young crane sped out of the room, leaving Victor with the E2 engine.

"Good morning, Young One," the Cuban engine greeted, "How are you feeling?"

"Morning, Victor? Am I getting painted today, like you promised?" the young engine asked with high hopes.

"Of course. But first, I need to see how well you run," Victor explained as two finely-dressed young men walked in.

"Run?"

"Yes. These men here will be your driver and fireman for today, so that we can see how well you move, and if there any problems to prevent you from moving around."

When Victor finished his sentence, the E2 felt the new and somewhat uneasy feeling of the men climbing into his cab. His lip quivered and his insides churned, as they worked to put hot coal in his firebox and fill his boiler with water.

An invigorating feeling washed over the red engine, as he smiled with excitement and determination. Soon enough, fluffy white steam puffed from his smokestack, and he involuntarily inched forwards.

"Good job. Now, follow me," Victor instructed with a smile, slowly backing out while his patient followed him, albeit a bit wobbly. But sure enough, he managed to move about quite smoothly, and Victor was appeased.

"Looking good!" Kelly complimented, "How do you feel?"

"Honestly…pretty awesome," the red engine chuckled in awe, stopping when Victor suddenly came to a halt, and he noticed he was on a turntable.

"Now, we're going to repaint you. What color would you like?" Victor questioned.

"Uh…hmm…what color would you pick?"

The Cuban engine chuckled, "Red was always a personal favorite color of mine.

"Well then, red it is," the E2 engine admitted.

* * *

Whenever they were available, Henry and James were chosen to take Thomas' place of arranging all coaches into their rightful positions, especially for bringing Gordon his express coaches.

This morning, it was Henry's turn, but his mind was elsewhere and caused a slight commotion. When he wasn't paying attention, Henry didn't stop in time when pushing the coaches up to Gordon, bumping too hard.

"Watch what you're doing, Henry!" Gordon scolded.

"Oh, I-I'm so sorry, Gordon!" Henry frantically apologized, trying again to couple the express to the large blue engine with a much more gentle approach.

"You've been rather quite all morning. Is something wrong?" James inquired and puffed up to Gordon and Henry.

"It's just that engine I found in the forest. Something about him seemed…unsettling," Henry explained shakily.

"Oh yeah, that young'un. You know, I haven't heard much about him. Is he alright? And who is he?" James asked.

"Who cares? A name and number never matters unless you're a useful engine," Gordon huffed before the whistle to tell him to go sounded, and he hastily made his way out with the express.

"Hm," James scoffed and rolled his eyes, puffing away to get back to work.

But Henry's mind began to wander again. There were a lot of mysterious behind this newcomer, and he wouldn't be satisfied until he found out the truth.

* * *

When Henry finished his jobs for the afternoon, he wasted no time in heading to the Steam Works to visit the red E2. But when he arrived, Henry couldn't find him anywhere.

"Excuse me, Kelly?" the green engine piped up when the said pink crane drove by, "Where is that E2 engine?"

Kelly smiled brightly, "Oh, he's-!"

The crane was cut off by a short and high-pitched, one that sounded quite similar to Thomas', as Victor puffed into view with the new engine behind him. And when Henry saw him, he did, indeed, look like a whole new engine.

The young E2 Class looked marvelous, with shiny and new red paint; everything about him was just so spick and span, and gave him a really handsome look.

"Wow," Henry breathed in awe.

"Thank you," Victor and the red engine spoke at the same time.

"Some of my best work, if I do say so myself," the Cuban engine boasted with a smirk.

"But you forgot something, Boss. He still doesn't have a name," Kelly pointed out, "Ya know, you look like a Johnny to me."

"Eh, I think I'll pass on that," the red engine stated with a sneer.

Victor hummed in deep thought, and Henry couldn't help but want to come up with an answer, too. But then something came to mind; he recalled the night he found the young engine, and the events beforehand. And then it hit him; the fox that ran in front of him, and even the red coats that matched.

"How about Tod?" Henry suggested, smiling warmly.

"Tod," the red engine repeated, looking down and thinking for a moment, and then he smiled, "I like it. It's definitely better than Johnny."

Kelly rolled her eyes and got back to work, "It was worth a shot."

* * *

 **Everything happens for a reason. Also, sorry for the shorter chapter. But don't worry, (hopefully)the more eventful stuff will be coming up in the next chapter or so.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Keep Calm and Push On

Chapter 3 - Keep Calm and Push On

Soon after Tod was given his new paint and name, Sir Topham Hatt was quick to pay him a visit at the Steam Works, closely examining and smiling in appeasement.

"You're a fine engine, Tod. If you want, I can have you work on my railway," Sir Topham offered.

"That sounds nice. Will I get to meet new people?" Tod asked with excitement.

"Of course. And since you two have grown so close, I will be putting Henry in charge of watching you for a little while. Do you think you can handle him, Henry?"

The said green engine blushed and smiled, "C-Certainly, Sir! I'll take care of Tod as if he were one of my own."

"I'm glad to hear it. First, I would like you to show him around Knapford Station, show him how to assist the larger engines with their coaches. When you're done for the day, bring him back here," Sir Topham instructed.

* * *

Once Tod's new driver and fireman arrived and rekindled his firebox, Henry did as he was told and took Tod to Knapford. James was nowhere to be seen, but a rather annoyed Gordon was still waiting.

"Ok, I know Sir Topham said you needed to go to the Steam Works immediately, but couldn't you have at least come back so-!" Gordon ranted on in aggravation, but suddenly paused when he noticed the shockingly familiar engine with Henry. "Who on Earth is _that_?"

"Gordon, I'd like you to meet the railway's newest engine and my newest friend: Tod," Henry explained and then smirked at the said red engine, "Tod, this is Gordon, an old friend of mine—he can be very loud at times, but he truly has a big heart."

"Hey!" Gordon whined in embarrassment, and Tod couldn't help but chuckle.

"Nice to meet you, Gordon," Tod greeted jokingly, to which the said blue engine huffed.

"Hello, there. I'm James, the most useful and good-looking engine on Sodor," James boasted as he puffed in, "I didn't catch your name, though."

"It's Tod."

"Tod, hm—how simple yet humble."

"Speaking of which, we should really get to work. Follow me, Tod," Henry gently instructed and led Tod, where he showed him how to buffer up with Gordon's express coaches and waiting for a worker to couple them together.

"Just keep calm and push on. When you feel the invigorating heat in your firebox, you won't want to stop." Tod listened closely to Henry's words, as steam puffed and his wheels turned as he pushed the coaches forward.

It took more effort than he expected, but Tod eventually pushed them into the station and behind Gordon. In fact, he was so careful, Gordon could barely feel him buffer up; though, Gordon decided not to say aloud that he was impressed and remained silent.

Soon, Gordon's coaches were hooked to him and a workman blew his whistle, to which the said blue engine didn't waste time in moving on with his express.

"Keep working, Little Tod, and you just might be half as grand as me—I'm kidding, of course!" Gordon laughed hardily as he left, and his attempts to put the young engine down were successful. But Henry quickly noticed his hurt expression, and he wasn't going to let it stay.

"Don't listen to him. He's as vain as James—nearly," Henry began.

"I can hear you, you know!" James called in offense, but Henry ignored him.

"The size and strength of the engine isn't what always matters—it's the size and strength of their heart that counts."

"But…I _am_ a little engine, like Gordon said," Tod sorrowfully protested.

"Who cares what Gordon said? You should never let anyone or their hurtful words get to you because they're wrong. I know what's really inside you, and I see nothing but greatness." Tod looked up at Henry in surprise, but felt a little better nonetheless.

"You really believe that?"

"I sure do. Now, c'mon. We've got more work to do."

With that, Henry chuffed forward with Tod not behind, and the latter was truly amazed. He had barely known Henry for a day and a half, yet he treats him like his own family.

 _Perhaps I shouldn't be so doubtful,_ Tod thought with a small smile.

* * *

Tod worked hard alongside Henry for many hours, even passed sunset until Henry decided it was time to call it a day and get a refill at the water tower. But as the two sat and waited for Tod to get his fill, something kept rattling around in his mind that made him blush.

"Ya know, Henry—you didn't have to say all that cheesy stuff, or stand up for me, for that matter," Tod admitted dryly, breaking the awkward silence.

"Why wouldn't I? I would never let my friends get bullied," Henry argued.

Tod's eyes widened slightly, "We're friends?"

"If you want to be, yes."

"Well, I guess I owe you that much since you did rescue me—which reminds me, I never really thanked you for that, did I?"

"No, but there's no need. Seeing you happy is satisfactory enough for me, honest."

Tod's blush grew darker, as he let out a small chuckle, "You're so corny, Henry."

"I get that a lot," Henry pointed out flatly, "We should really get you back to the Steam Works, though."

With that, the teacher and student headed back to the Steam Works as night fell, and Victor was already waiting for them.

"How was your first day of work?" Victor questioned in curiosity.

"It was pretty exhausting, but exciting, too," Tod replied with a tired sigh.

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, go ahead and get some sleep."

"You don't have to tell me twice. Goodnight, Henry," the E2 engine yawned while his driver and fireman hopped out of his cab, and he groggily puffed back into his ward.

"Goodnight, Tod," Henry softly called back.

"Uh, Victor, we have something to report," Tod driver began nervously.

"Ok. Henry, if you don't mind…" The said green engine quickly caught Victor's hint to leave, and so he wished them all a goodnight and headed out towards Tidmouth Sheds.

"Victor, it's Tod, he…" the driver went on, but failed to find the right words without sounding unsettling.

"He has to ability to move on his own," the fireman finally answered, to which Victor's eyes widened in shock.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, the first time we started him up and he jolted forward—that wasn't us," the fireman explained.

"And we would leave the controls alone for an hour at a time while he was working today, but he moved about, shunting and pulling coaches—almost as if he didn't need us," the driver added.

"Does he know about this?"

"No," they both answered.

"I see," Victor simply replied, but he didn't let his fear show itself on his face, "I'll look into it, but I assure you that there's nothing to worry about, and it's not your fault."

Still a little afraid, the two men reluctantly left to go home for the night, and Victor was left alone to ponder a very important matter. If Tod is discovering his true potential this soon, then there's no telling how fast he will find out what else he can do.

And if he realized his abilities, all hope would be lost for him and the friends he has made.

"Victor?" Kelly's tiny voice broke the quiet night air, as she rolled up to her boss with a groggy yet concerned look on her face.

"I'm sorry if we woke you, Kelly."

"It's fine. But is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure—can you keep a close eye on Tod for me?"

"Sure thing, Boss."

* * *

The air was cold and crisp, the sky clear and glittered with stars, and the moon was in its new and pitch black phase, creating a intense eerie feeling over the empty Diesel Works—well, it _was_ empty.

Three engines let out steam as they rolled into the quiet and dim building, and they began their search for a very precious object that their master demanded of.

"You really think it's still going to be here?" a high-pitched and scratchy voice asked.

"Where else would it be, Dumbass?" came a deeper voice.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe shoved up your-!"

"Shut it, you two!" the frontward most engine snapped, effortlessly silencing the others, "We're not here to bicker, we're here to find the only remnant of one of Thomas' greatest enemies."

Unbeknownst to the leader, the other two engines were silently mocking him, mouthing his words with their tongue sticking out in annoyance.

"Fine. But if we don't find it, you're gonna be the one to tell her," the smaller-voiced engine pointed out.

"That's right," the deeper-voiced engine added.

"I don't think we'll have to worry about that," the leader protested in a sinister tone, as his eyes lit up bright purple and he worked to pull out an elongated metal object from a pile of scrap. As a purple aura kept its grasp on the object, he was careful to pull it out without breaking it.

Once it was freed, the rusted metal crane and large claw at the end floated in front of his grinning face.

"And when Diesel Ten comes back, there'll be no way we can lose."

* * *

 **Things aren't always what they seem, because someone from the past certainly wasn't gone for good.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	4. Chapter 4 - An Engine named Percy?

Chapter 4 - An Engine named Percy?

It was very early and the sun had barely begun to rise, but that didn't stop a certain grand engine from getting the answers he demanded. And when Sir Topham Hat was rudely awoken by a loud whistle just outside his house, he got out of bed to investigate.

He blinked the fatigue away as his eyes adjusted to the dark, and he was surprised to see Gordon waiting outside. But he didn't look amused at all.

"What are you doing here, Gordon? It's far too early to start working," Sir Topham yawned.

"Why does Tod look exactly like Thomas?" Gordon hissed.

Sir Topham didn't know what to say, but he eventually sighed and rolled his eyes, "Kudos to you for using your eyes."

"Is he still alive?"

"No. I told you all, Thomas is dead."

"That's odd because those two share a striking resemblance. And I'm not resting until I find out why."

"Some engines just have that sort of face, Gordon. Just leave it be, and I'll see you later."

Even though the grogginess was obvious in Sir Topham's voice, Gordon could hear the lies loud and clear. The large man was hiding something, and that neither he nor Tod could be trusted, this he knew for certain.

* * *

 _It was quiet and dark, and very peaceful. The stars twinkled in the clear sky above and crickets carelessly chirped away, but the tranquility was to be short-lived…_

 _A green object burst from the darkness, screaming in terror and awaking the other beings around it; they ridiculed it for being so scared, but a gentle voice came and said, "Percy, what's wrong?"_

 _The setting world suddenly changed, as it became a rusted building and yard with dirty oiled, and the same green object from before appeared; the air was more clear, and the object was revealed as a tank engine, but his facial features were still far from distinguishable._

 _Out of nowhere, a giant rusted limb reached for the green engine's funnel, tearing it off with ease and making him cry out in great pain. As blood poured and his consciousness was lost, a rage burned within._

 _The same voice from before came again, but it was nothing but a terrifying demonic growl, "Last warning, Diesel Ten: Let him go!"_

 _The entire environment changed one last time, becoming a dim room with the smell of blood and rust. It smelled like decay. Two new voices pierced the fuzzy atmosphere._

 _"_ _So, that's it? You're not going to forgive him for something that wasn't his fault?" The first voice was deep and firm—it sounded just like Sir Topham Hatt._

 _"_ _He could've done better!" The second voice the timid and smaller, but there was rage in its tone nonetheless. "Even with the darkness keeping him alive, he could've at least fought it! But no!"_

 _There was a long pause._

 _"_ _Percy-."_

 _"_ _He just…fell too far, and that's why I give up."_

* * *

Tod woke the next morning with a slight headache, but he ignored it when he remembered his dream; again, he couldn't remember most parts, but the parts that he could recall gave him a chill, especially the name 'Percy'. Who was he? Where was he? Is he on Sodor? And why does he sound so familiar?

"Hello, Tod." The said young engine blinked in surprise when he heard Gordon's voice when he expected Victor or even Henry, but Gordon himself puffed into his ward instead with Tod's driver and fireman were in his cab as well.

"Uh, hi…what are you doing here?" Tod asked in suspicion.

"Henry isn't feeling so well this morning, so he asked me to watch you for today," Gordon replied with a fake smile.

"Ok, I guess. Where are we going, then?"

As Gordon backed out of Tod's ward, his smile grew wicked, "You'll see soon enough, Little Tod."

* * *

Gordon remained quiet during the journey, and Tod became more suspicious and even scared the farther they went from civilization. In fact, Gordon didn't stop until they came up to a junction; the right track led off to another part of the railroad that Tod had yet to learn about, while the left led past a rusted old sign that read "Diesel Works."

"You've seen the diesel engines that pass by in the yard, yes?" Gordon began nonchalantly.

"Yeah. Why?" Tod questioned.

"Well, just as we have the Steam Works, the diesels have a safe haven known as the Diesel Works. Sadly, though, the place has been abandoned for quite some time, and the Steam Works needs some supplies. Sir Topham Hatt has told me to fetch the flatbed of supplies, but I forgot to tell him about the other important job I have today. Oh, what am I to do…?"

The wheels in Tod's mind slowly began to turn, but Gordon already knew what he was thinking.

"I-I could go get them for you," he offered.

"Would you? Oh, Tod, you are such a kind soul!" Steam rose from Gordon's smokestack as he puffed back towards town. "I shouldn't be long, but just come straight back to the Steam Works if I don't return!"

"Ok!" Tod shouted back before puffing down the left track, failing to notice the evil smile on Gordon's face as they parted ways.

 _Good luck getting back in time, Little Tod,_ Gordon thought with a dark chuckle.

Meanwhile, Tod continued down the track and quickly noticed the dwindling amount of plant life and animals, as it was replaced by barren rocky hills that lead into a valley. Before long, he came up to the entrance of what he assumed could only be the Diesel Works.

"Creepy," he commented when he felt a shiver run down his boiler, but moved forward, determined to prove Gordon wrong about being a tiny and scared engine.

"Hello?" Tod's voice echoed slightly, but there was no answer. "Ok, then—if I were a flatbed of diesel engine supplies, where would I be?"

He continued on through the yard until he puffed into the dim building; it looked rather new, but dreary and unwelcoming all the same. But before Tod gave up, he finally saw the single large flatbed of spare parts sitting on the second floor of the building.

 _That must be it_ , Tod confirmed in his mind as he rolled onto the turntable. Not long after he stopped on top of the turntable, it slowly rose without his command; not that he knew how to make it work in the first place, so he figured he shouldn't argue against luck.

But as soon as the table stopped rising, Tod's blood ran cold. He wasn't alone. Waiting in the shadows on the other side of the flatbed was an elongated diesel engine with faint yellow paint, a calm yet wicked face, and a giant metal claw atop his cab.

"And I _still_ leave them speechless," the engine chuckled in amusement, his voice as alluring as a snake while clanking his claw lightly, "Oh, but seriously, do calm down. I'm not going to hurt you—yet."

"Wh-Who…are you?" Tod could barely find his voice.

"I'm Diesel Ten. What's your name, Little One?"

"T-T…T…Tod…"

"How cute."

"B-But I-I thought…no one…was here…does Sir Topham Hatt know you're h-here?"

"That fat bastard doesn't deserve to know about my business!" Tod never expected Diesel Ten to suddenly snap, and it didn't help that his voice was so overwhelming or that his teeth were clenched and that his eyes twitched.

But Diesel Ten ended the awkward silence by closing his eyes, taking a deep breath in and muttering, "He and I have never gotten along well."

"Why?" Tod asked meekly.

"That doesn't concern you. Right now, you should get back home with this flatbed that Gordon sent you to get."

Tod gasped, "H-How did you know that?"

"I eavesdrop, I can't help it. That aside, you really should get going."

Tod wasted no time in coupling up to the flatbed and pulling it onto the turntable, as he subtly rushed to get away from this strange engine.

"Oh, and a little word of advice, Tod," Diesel Ten began warningly, "I know you find m terrifying and untrustworthy, but you should also be careful with those you already know."

Tod was just about to asked what he meant by that, but he ran into something from behind, making him yelp in surprise, "Who's there?!"

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" a raspy voice quickly apologized, as the owner of the voice came up from behind. It was another long diesel engine, but not nearly as long as Diesel Ten, with dark green paint and a coach built into him; Tod also noticed that he seemed rather young, maybe the same age as him, and he looked really familiar, too.

"Hey, didn't I see you at Knapford Station yesterday? You were picking up passengers, right?"

"What?" the other engine inquired with a quirked brow, but he soon laughed in realization, "Oh, no! You must be talking about my mom. She's a diesel railcar, like me. Her name's Daisy."

"That would explain the lack of obscene makeup," Tod muttered under his breath before clearing his throat, "Anyway, what're you doing here?"

"Actually, I came to pick up _that_." As soon as Tod realized he was referring to the flatbed of supplies, his eyebrows furrowed in great confusion. Did Gordon…lie?

"But if you wanna go with me to take it to the Steam Works, I'd be more than happy to let you tag along," the railcar added with a smile.

Tod couldn't help but smile back from the kindness shown to him, "Thanks. I needed to head back there, anyway."

"Cool, let's go!" the other engine cheered, as they made their way out of the yard, "By the way, I'm Lucky."

"I'm Tod."

"Tod, huh? Are you that new engine that Victor's taking care of?"

"How did know that?"

"Sodor's a pretty small island. News travels faster than light here." The two boys couldn't help but laugh at that, but something of another matter kept lingering in his mind.

"Hey, Lucky? Do you come here often?" Tod inquired with a quirked brow.

"Well, kinda…a lot actually," Lucky replied nervously, "But, please, don't tell my parents! They don't know!"

"I won't—I'm just curious. Have you ever seen another, I don't know, creepy engine with, say, a claw in there—have you?"

There was an awkward pause between them, as Lucky stared at Tod with inquisitively. Eventually, he finally answered slowly, "No. Where would you even get an idea like that?"

"Oh, it's just a random thought and I was curious, is all," Tod lied as his eyes drifted, "I've never been to the Diesel Works until today, and you're the sec—er, first diesel I've met."

"Well, I'm glad I have that honor."

As Lucky smiled politely at him, Tod smiled brightly back because he was certain that he made a new friend.

* * *

Henry was literally shaking in his metal. No one had seen Tod all afternoon, which worried his "nanny" due to his goal to watch after him. And amidst his panic, Henry didn't even know where to start to look and was plaguing the Steam Works' staff with his worrisome vibes.

"Oh, I'm a terrible caretaker! What if something bad happened to him?! What if he fell off a bridge, or got derailed, or-?!"

"Henry!" Victor snapped, "Calm down, My Friend. I'm sure he's fine. Gordon came in to see Tod this morning, so I'll bet he's with him."

"Wait. Gordon? Why?" Henry questioned.

"Heck if I know. But judging by the fact that Victor needed Gordon to get some extra diesel engine parts from the Diesel Works, I'd say he took him there," Kelly admitted while quickly driving by with a crate.

Just then, a whistle and a horn rang through the air, as none other than Tod and Lucky rolled in with the parts that Victor needed.

"See? Perfectly fine," Victor boasted with a smirk while puffing up to the two engines, "Thank you very much."

"No problem, Victor," Tod added.

"Sorry, but I better get home. Mom and Dad're probably wondering where I am. It was nice meeting you, Tod. See you soon!" Lucky explained as he left the Steam Works, honking at his new friend and Tod whistled back.

"Oh, you scared me to death! Don't ever do that again…please," Henry firmly instructed, but added the last part meekly.

"Whoa, Henry, calm down. I'm alright, I promise. I just got a little sidetracked at the Diesel Works," Tod chuckled.

Just then, the sound of Sir Topham Hatt's car could be heard outside, as he quickly pulled into the yard and ran into the building in a panic. But as soon as he saw Tod, he seemingly calmed down.

"Oh, Tod, thank goodness! When I heard you had gone missing, I assumed the worst," Sir Topham sighed in great relief.

"Why does everyone worry about me?" Tod muttered.

"But now that you're back, all is well. And if you don't mind, Henry will take you to Knapford for some more work with the coaches," Sir Topham added firmly.

"Yes, Sir," Tod confirmed with a smile.

"Don't worry. I won't let him out of my sight," Henry added politely as they left, but he had a certain blue engine on his mind that he would give a good talking to later. But he knew he had to focus more on his student, which is why he completely avoided Gordon at the station all day.

* * *

That night, Tod was already brought back after working with Henry and his driver and fireman had left, but he couldn't sleep because of the name that he dreamed about.

"Hey, Victor?" Tod began before the said Cuban engine turned in for the night.

"Yes?" Victor replied.

"Did you ever know an engine named Percy?"

Lucky for Victor, he was turned away from Tod, so he couldn't notice the frightened expression on his face. But he cleared his throat and answered, "N-Not that I remember. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno…it just came to me in a dream. Is that weird?"

"A little, but that's how dreams work. They're a strange world that our minds create for unknown reasons. And we may never know why."

"Huh…right, well…goodnight, I guess."

"Goodnight, Tod."

With that, Victor puffed quietly passed a sleeping Kelly and out of the building, where he sat and listened to the silence of the night while gazing up at the clear sky. He always did this to help him think or calm down, and right now, the secrets he has kept has done nothing but shake his core.

Meanwhile, most of the engines at Tidmouth Sheds have already fallen asleep, but Henry was determined to make a point.

"Gordon. Gordon, wake up right now," Henry growled demandingly.

It didn't take long for the said blue engine to wake with a startling snort, and he was surprised all the same when he saw that Henry was still awake.

"What is it, Henry? Can't you see it's nighttime—you know, the time for _sleep_ ," Gordon emphasized groggily.

"You can sleep in a minute, but you need to listen. I know what you did."

Gordon was instantly alert now, as his eyes widened and darted around in fear, "W-What ever do you mean?"

"You abandoned Tod on purpose."

"No, no, of course not! I was busy and needed to be back at Knapford for an important train. I would never leave such an innocent engine alone to fend for himself."

"Whether or not you're telling the truth, I want to make something very clear to you." Henry paused and puffed closer. "Don't ever threaten Tod again, or else you're going to have to answer to me."

Henry retreated back into his shed without another word, leaving Gordon absolutely stunned by this sudden burst of confidence and strength. But even with Henry keeping a closer eye on him, Gordon still refused to trust Tod.

* * *

 **So, Diesel Ten is alive. But why and how? And how will his revival affect Tod's life? I can already tell you, it won't be good.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	5. Chapter 5 - Keep an Eye Out

Chapter 5 - Keep an Eye Out

The crack of dawn over Sodor created a silver lining over the horizon, and a certain diesel engine biding his time at the Diesel Works had a perfect, serene view of it all. But the tranquility was short-lived, as three distinct engines could be heard puffing in the distance.

Diesel Ten smirked as the three engines approached, for he knew they would be back under unique circumstances, "Hello, Gentlemen."

"Gentlemen? You must be talkin' about someone else!" Bash scoffed.

"Yeah, we're 'The Locos' now!" Dash laughed hysterically.

"That's right!" Ferdinand pointed out with a sinister grin.

"What ever you call yourselves makes no difference. Now, I assume you've-," Diesel Ten began calmly, but Dash interrupted him.

"Hey, don't assume anything!"

"Why not?"

"Because it makes an _ass out of u and me_!" All three engines burst out laughing at Dash's joke, but Diesel Ten only found it half-baked and cringed in aggravation.

"But joking aside, we have come back for a good reason," Bash informed after calming down, wiping away a tear of joy with a single use of purple-colored magic.

"Pray tell," the diesel simply demanded.

"We need you to be our eyes of Sodor, if you will. Keep an eye on everyone here, and tell us if you find any threats to our plans."

Diesel Ten chuckled, "Oh, please. You three idiots could never come up with anything remotely clever. Who are you really working for?"

"Guess diesels aren't as stupid as we thought," Ferdinand muttered under his breath.

"No kiddin'," Bash admitted before looking back to Diesel Ten, "Our boss wants ta keep a low profile right now."

"I understand. A good evil genius makes sure to avoid spilling their secrets. Very well, I'll do what I can to keep you updated on the whereabouts of the morons on this island, but on one condition."

Luckily for Diesel Ten, the Locos were too dimwitted to notice his knowing grin, as he refused to inform them about a certain red E2 engine; he was quite certain that information like that was far too valuable.

"That depends," Dash growled threateningly.

"Why did you decide to make me corporeal again?"

The Locos all grinned maniacally at each other before Bash spoke for them, "Let's just say our boss knew to one of your previous masters."

* * *

Tod's boiler bubbled with far more excitement than usual, for today, Henry was taking him to the quarry to show him how to work with heavier loads.

"Who are we gonna meet today, Henry?" Tod asked with a smile, his eyes wandering all over the rocky walls when they entered the quarry.

"Well, most of the engines in the quarry are diesels," Henry politely replied.

"Like Lucky?"

"Exactly. There's the twins, Ben and Bill—they're tricksters, so be careful around them—oh, and then there's-."

"Hey, Henry!" Diesel's guttural voice echoed across the quarry, as he approached the said green engine in curiosity, "Get a different schedule this time? What brings ya here?"

"Oh, no. I was given the task of watching after the newest addition to the railway," Henry explained while Tod rolled into view beside him, "Diesel, meet Tod."

As soon as Diesel got a good look at the red engine, his oil ran cold; the mere similar appearance to the monster he knew way back when made his heart stop, for he feared all of Sodor was in danger once again.

"S-Sorry, but I really gotta g-get back ta work!" Diesel stuttered fearfully, his engine sputtering as he made a quick get away.

Henry quickly noticed the confused look on Tod's face, "Oh, don't worry about him. He's probably just stressed and wants to get the day over with."

"Uh-huh…" Tod simply stated while following Henry, but he couldn't take his mind off of the engine he just met and heavily pondering, _Diesel…why does that name sound so familiar?_

Soon, though, Henry's kind voice pulled the young engine from his thoughts, "Ok, Tod, I'm going to show you how to work with troublesome trucks today."

"W-What now?"

Tod blushed in embarrassment when Henry chuckled, "These trucks here have minds of their own, so you need to be careful and don't let them have their way. Here, watch me…"

With that, the green engine puffed forward as the trucks cackled while scheming to trick him, but he proved them powerless when he rammed into them. And after literally knocking some sense into them, the trucks were too dazed to focus and let Henry couple up to them, pulling the empty trucks back towards the loading station.

"Ha! Dazed and confused!" Tod exclaimed in amusement while following Henry.

"I guess you could say that," Henry laughed, "Now, let me show you how to place the trucks underneath the loading station correctly. It takes patience and precise movements…"

But just as Henry finished his sentence, he passed underneath the loading station and debris was accidentally unloaded too soon, showering him with rocks and covering him in dust.

Tod instantly started snickering at Henry's misfortune, making the latter blush in embarrassment. But when Tod burst out laughing, Henry couldn't help but smile, too.

"Oopsy daisy," Henry giggled.

"It's ok, Henry!" Tod quickly reassured when he finally recollected himself, taking Henry by surprise, "If there's anything you've taught me so far, it's that you should always have faith in yourself. And I have faith in you."

"Who's being cheesy now?"

As the teacher and student continued to laugh away, Diesel watched from afar, refusing to take his focus off of Tod; he knew that however Tod came to be, it could only be related to Thomas. And due to past experiences, Tod would no doubt become the same monster.

"Who's that?" Ben asked as he and his twin brother rolled up to Diesel, looking down at Tod in curiosity.

"What the-? He looks like Thomas," Bill pointed out in shock.

"I know. His name's Tod," Diesel grumbled and paused, "I need you two to do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?" the twins questioned in sync.

"Watch out for Tod, and let me know if you see anything weird."

* * *

As evening approached, Daisy and her son, Lucky, headed to the quarry together in search of a certain ebony diesel engine and go back home with him. And the engine they were looking for a was plum tuckered out from the day's work, as he uncoupled from the last freight cars he had to shunt.

"Hoo, if I never shunt again, it'll be too soon," Diesel grunted in exhaustion.

"Oh, must you complain about everything, Dear?" Daisy joked as she and Lucky approached; the two older engines gently buffering up to each other in what seemed like a lovingly embrace, much to Lucky's disgust.

"Ew, gross!" Lucky gagged at his parents.

"Ya know, I thought the same thing before I met your mother," Diesel retorted with confidence.

"Is there a point to this?" Lucky asked flatly.

"Not now, but maybe someday. L'amour vous trouvera!" Daisy added cheerfully.

Their son only scoffed at that before chuffing away in an attempt to explore, to which Diesel quickly added, "Your mom and I need ta discuss something, but be ready ta go in a few minutes!"

"Is something wrong, Amour?" Daisy questioned worriedly.

"I'd bet on it, but we gotta talk somewhere more private," Diesel replied under his breath, and lead his wife towards a siding that ran up a hill.

Meanwhile, Lucky smiled and said hello to Henry when he passed by, even asking if Tod was around; his smile grew even bigger when Henry told him yes, and quickly set off in search of his new friend.

But when Lucky did find Tod, he was surprised to find him sitting alone by some buffers in a narrow, shadowy rock gap.

"Hi, Lucky!" Tod greeted happily when he noticed the said young diesel.

"Hey, Tod. Uh, what're doing over here? And where are your diver and fireman?" Lucky asked out of great confusion.

"One of my levers sounded a little squeaky, so they went looking for maintenance to go get some oil."

"Oh…well, anyway, have you met my dad yet? His name's Diesel."

Just as Lucky said that, Tod glanced up to find Diesel and Daisy going up the hill, grimacing at the memory of earlier that day, "Yeah, I have…"

"Well, whaddya think?"

Tod couldn't help but feel guilty when Lucky expressed high hopes, so he was determined not to crush them—too much, "I dunno. He seems kinda… _tough_ …towards me."

"Yeah, but he's a real big softy once you get to know—trust me, I know. I tell ya, my parents are the biggest…"

But as Lucky went on, Tod's attention was suddenly averted to a few crumbling rocks from the tracks that Diesel and Daisy had traveled down; more importantly, the pebbles soon became rocks and rocks became boulders. Until finally, one giant boulder was pushed off of the track, and threatened to crush an unsuspecting Lucky below.

Tod didn't even have time to warn Lucky, for the boulder tipped over and succumbed to gravity, making him close his eyes tightly to avoid seeing his friend's demise—but the bone-crunching, metal-twisting sound never came.

The red engine reluctantly and slowly opened one eye, in which tiny trails of a red aura crackled from the edge of his iris, and both eyes instantly opened as wide as dinner plates. The boulder was supported just mere inches above Lucky, and engulfed in a sparkling blanket of crimson.

"Um, Tod? What's goin' on with your eyes?" Lucky cut off his story when he noticed that Tod obviously wasn't paying attention, as well as the strange red colors flaring from his eyes.

In a blind panic, Tod blacked out for a split second, which resulted in the boulder finally dropping with a loud thud on the side of the track. This finally caught Lucky's attention, as he moved back a few inches and stared at the large rock in amazement.

"Holy horns! That thing could've killed me!" the diesel exclaimed in surprise, but suddenly started laughing hysterically, "I guess that's why they call me 'Lucky'!"

"I guess so," Tod whimpered.

"Lucky, c'mon! It's time ta go!" Diesel boomed as he and Daisy oiled back down the same hill, but they failed to notice Tod.

"Coming!" Lucky shouted back and backed out to catch up before adding quietly, "See ya later, Tod."

"But are you sure they're related?" Daisy whispered to Diesel, making sure their son didn't hear their conversation when he got closer.

"Trust me, I've seen and experienced what Thomas could do—I could never forget his malicious face," Diesel growled in response, "Be careful around him, Daisy, and keep Lucky close. We can't have him fraternizing with a traitor."

Meanwhile, too stunned to say goodbye back, Tod only sat there in silence while trying to comprehend what had just happened. How could it happen? Why did it happen? Why did the boulder stop only because he wished it to? And more importantly, what caused the boulder to fall?

"Tod, there you are!" Henry exclaimed when he found the said young E2 engine, just as Tod's driver and fireman returned with the oil to loosen up the squeaky lever, "It's time to go home—hey, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

True to Henry's word, Tod's face was as pale as snow and his pupils had shrunk down to shaky pinpricks. But not wanting to alarm his caretaker, Tod quickly recomposed himself.

"Uh, yeah, no! I-I'm perfectly fine, just, uh…a little tired?" Tod lied with a sheepish smile, to which Henry luckily bought.

"No need to worry about that. You'll be tucked up safe and sound at the Steam Works in no time."

* * *

Tod lay awake that night, even though Victor and Kelly slumber peacefully close by and crickets chirped a calming lullaby. Nothing could calm his nerves. He wanted answers, needed them, but there was not a single soul he could trust with this information. Trust…who could he trust?

Then, albeit by utter random, Tod had a theory: Maybe Diesel pushed the boulder. He didn't want to believe that the father of his friend would do such a thing, but Diesel didn't act so kindly towards him either. And at the sheer thought Diesel, Tod thought of another engine, the very same one who warned him about who he should trust.

Tod needed to speak with him immediately, but he knew he could do nothing since his driver and fireman had already left for home hours ago.

 _What am I gonna do? I can't do this without anyone knowing,_ Tod thought in frustration, _if only I could move on my own…_

Just then, Tod felt his entire being jerk forward and his wheels creaked ever so lightly; he gasped when he realized he had actually moved, and his heart raced at the thought of moving without any help.

 _H-How…how is this possible?_ Tod pondered as his wishful thinking caused him to move again, this time a yard backwards. Almost instantly, he thought of Victor and Kelly and their reactions if they saw him, so he quickly yet quietly puffed out of his ward. Much to his relief, the Cuban engine and pink crane were still deeply asleep.

And with that realization, Tod knew one thing for certain as he snuck past the two and left the Steam Works, _If anyone can shed some light on this, it's you, Diesel Ten._

* * *

Just as Diesel Ten expected, he heard the familiar chuffing a certain red E2 engine getting closer, as he waited just outside the dimly lit Diesel Works. A shadowy figure quickly approached him, and his red paint was revealed due to the light coming from within the building.

"Hello again, Tod. Miss me?" Diesel Ten greeted boastfully.

"N-Not exactly…I-I need some answers," Tod replied shakily.

"Oh, I get it. You're all alone, so you come to me."

"I-I'm not alone."

"No, I mean, you're literally alone—you think I didn't notice your cab was empty?" Diesel Ten paused and approached Tod's right side, extending his claw and patting his boiler comfortingly. "Have no fear, Tod, I have all the answers you need—but quid pro quo, you have to promise me something."

"Anything, I promise! Please, just help me!" Tod begged, making Diesel Ten grin in appeasement.

"You can't tell anyone about me or our meetings, not a single soul. Do you understand, Little Steamie?" the diesel hissed, clamping his claw to emphasize his point.

Tod audibly gulped in fear, but complied, "Yes."

"Perfect. Now, what is it you wish to discuss first?"

"Well—you said I should be careful with who I trust…"

"That I did."

"A-And I think you're right."

"How so?"

The young engine's drifted about in reluctance, "I think…I think someone tried to kill me, or maybe my friend."

Tod failed to notice Diesel Ten's smirk return, "Did they succeed?"

"No, actually. I…I…"

"You what?"

Tod finally looked Diesel Ten in the eyes, and his pupils once again shrank in utter terror. But what Tod didn't notice was the tiny spark of crimson fizzing at the edge of his irises again; though, Diesel Ten immediately noticed and smiled brightly, but thought it was best not to expose this shaken engine to the truth just yet.

"Very well. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. We'll come back to that later," Diesel Ten reassured.

"Thank you," Tod sighed in relief.

"But there is another important matter we must tend to. Tell me, who do you think tried to hurt you?"

"He's some diesel engine who works at the quarry. His name's Diesel."

The mere second Diesel's name rolled off of Tod's tongue, Diesel Ten's smile turned to a grimace of clenched teeth and his eyes widened while flashing bright red.

"Diesel," he repeated in a sinister snarl.

"You know him?" Tod questioned, shuttering at Diesel Ten's glowing eyes, but left it alone for the sake of not angering him more than he clearly already is.

Memories of when Diesel and Norman helped him capture Percy and threaten Thomas came flooding back to Diesel Ten, but more importantly, the memory of how Diesel got away unscathed and betrayed him.

"Yes, I knew him for a time," Diesel Ten growled and oiled back into the building, "You should go."

"But-."

"Now." Diesel Ten's voice echoed within Tod's mind, effortlessly striking fear into him and involuntarily making him back out of the Diesel Works. Not only was this clawed diesel unpredictable and dangerous, but…

 _But he's also the only one who might have an idea as to who or what I really am,_ Tod confirmed.

* * *

 **So, Tod has discovered new abilities that are impossible for all other engines to accomplish, and Diesel Ten is the only one who can teach him how to make use of them.**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	6. Chapter 6 - A Fire in Your Soul

Chapter 6 - A Fire in Your Soul

Diesel Ten watched impatiently, as his new pupil focused on an empty crate in the far corner of the Diesel Works; for the past couple of nights, Tod visited Diesel Ten to learn more about his seemingly magical abilities and, more importantly, his past.

Tod stuck his tongue out while keeping a strict gaze on the crate, as his pupils shined crimson and a faint aura with matching colors engulfed the empty box. But no matter how hard he tried, the crate would not budge.

"Oh, come on!" Diesel Ten snapped, "You could stop a falling boulder, but now you can't even lift an empty crate?!"

"I'm sorry! I don't know what I'm doing wrong! Please, give me another chance," Tod pleaded.

"I've given you three, and you're trying my patience. Maybe you should try again tomorrow."

"No! I can do this!"

"Then what's holding you back?"

Tod's eyes wandered as he finally let go of the crate, sighing, "I…I don't know."

"Perhaps you're not motivated." Pinchy gently clanked and grinded above Diesel Ten's face. "Come back when you have a fire in your soul."

* * *

The next morning, Tod was relieved to see Henry's friendly face again, for his visit with Diesel Ten weighed heavily on his mind; there was a root to his true power, and he wanted to expose it sooner than later.

Like before, Henry took Tod to the quarry to help out with the extra work loads as of late, but there were a few certain engines who weren't yet accustomed to Tod's help—more specifically, Diesel.

Everything about Tod just rubbed him the wrong way, so one way or another, he was going to silence this engine and his obvious affiliation Thomas once and for all. But one problem still remained; until he had enough evidence, he would have to put his plan into action alone.

And for now, that plan was to expose Tod in any way shape or form. He would watch him closely as long as he could, while also trying to work, which was not easy. But even if no one else saw something, all Diesel wanted was to see it, anything out of the ordinary, even if just for a second.

Though, that didn't mean he was the only one who was curious to find out who Tod really was…

"Diesel?" Ben spoke up, as he and his brother approached the said ebony engine.

"What?" Diesel growled while still deep in thought.

"Whatever secret Tod has to hide, he's doing a good job of keeping it buried," Bill reluctantly explained.

"Your point being?"

The twins exchanged worried looks before answering, "We haven't really seen anything."

Diesel scoffed, "Great. Just what I needed."

With that, Diesel's engine sputtered as he went off, but Ben and Bill's conscious were still looming with one small memory.

"Well…there was something else…" Bill added sheepishly.

"And that is?" Diesel demanded, instantly stopping.

"I-It's probably nothing," Ben protested.

"Tell me now."

Both convinced, the twins thought it would be best to tell this huffy diesel what he wanted to hear.

"There was this boulder," Ben began.

"Yes?" Diesel urged.

"And it looked like it was gonna crush Tod, but…" Bill continued, but paused when he realized how crazy the rest sounded.

"But what?"

"Well, we didn't see why or how, but—we think that somehow, Tod protected himself," Ben finally stated.

That gave Diesel an idea. He would corner Tod, make him snap.

"Thank you for telling me, Boys. Soon, Sodor will be purged of the true evil here," Diesel muttered before continuing on again.

As soon as he left, the twins were left alone with the supernatural force that forced them to blab about Tod and the boulder in the first place. Their faces went limp, their eyes wide as dinner plates, and their irises glowed with a red hue.

"Nicely done, you two. It can't be easy to expose a secret you know nothing about." The hiss paused as a pair of red eyes glowed within a dark tunnel behind Ben and Bill, and a faint metal clank could be heard from inside.

Meanwhile, Diesel moved about the quarry in search of Tod while pulling a long train of trucks filled with heavy debris. All he needed was to get the young engine alone, and goad him, thus pushing him to his limit. He soon found Tod, all alone to boot, at the other end of the quarry while waiting for his much smaller train to get loaded with rocks.

"Hi, Diesel," Tod greeted awkwardly.

"Hello," Diesel grimly stated, "So, uh, where's Henry?"

"He left to make a quick disposal at the dump. Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're looked after, especially if Henry isn't here to take care of you."

"So, what, _you_ wanted to watch after me?"

"Well, I don't see anyone else volunteering."

"Ok—I guess."

With that, Diesel rolled forward, revealing his train to Tod, "If I'm going to take care of you for a short while, I might as well show you how to work like a real useful engine."

"You don't think I'm working hard enough?" Tod asked with doubt.

"Oh, no! Of course not!" Diesel quickly lied, "I'm just saying, you could be better and really gain some respect."

"How would I do that?"

"See this train? I'll let you take a little over half of it, and then you pull it out of the quarry for it to be taken away—unless you think you can make the entire journey yourself."

Tod's minding started flooding with embarrassment and anger, to which reminded him of his lessons with Diesel Ten; he wanted to prove both diesels wrong, that he could go beyond his limit and be powerful.

"But I understand if you-," Diesel dragged on nonchalantly, that is, until Tod quickly cut him off.

"No, no! I want to try. I need to try. Give me the whole train," Tod demanded while scowling.

Diesel was honestly a little taken aback by Tod's determination, but complied anyway, "The whole train? Well, if you say so…"

Eventually, Diesel was uncoupled from his train and Tod was quickly hooked up in his stead; Tod remained coupled to his original trucks of debris as well, which raised the stakes significantly for him, but he was still confident. The red engine began to huff and chuff, his wheels screeching as they grinded against the tracks in his attempt to get the train moving. But as he watched, Diesel grinned because he knew one of and/or two things would come of this. One: Tod would snap and reveal who he really is. Or two: He would embarrass himself something awful, whether or not he broke.

Tod's growls of impatience grew louder and louder, for the train would not budge. He felt a raging fire begin to build within, but he fought with all his might to prevent it from burning his senses and making him lose himself. He knew that if Diesel, his driver, and his fireman saw what he could really do, they would no doubt act out of fear and spread terror that was not real. The island may have nothing to fear at the moment, but they would never trust someone or something they could not explain.

But for too long, Tod and his train would not budge an inch. Both he and Diesel knew now that there was no hope left, which angered Tod even more. He tried with every fiber in his being, and he still failed miserably.

 _How can I show them I'm a normal, useful engine if I can't do what normal engines do?!_ Tod scolded himself.

"Oh, well. Maybe a little more practice, and you'll amount up to about half of what I can do. Better luck next time, Little Tod," Diesel taunted while taking what was originally his train and finally taking it away. As the ebony engine left, Tod's eye twitched in great exasperation; he suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that Diesel had set him up.

And now, Tod needed an outlet for this newfound anger.

* * *

The sun had set and night was soon out and about, as well as a certain elusive clawed diesel hiding at the Diesel Works. And he was just about to give up on waiting for his guest when…

A raging cry echoed outside, as a red blur darted into the building, startling Diesel Ten as he barely dodged it; he easily recognized the red blur as Tod, and the said red engine screeched to a halt before crashing into a wall, but he wasn't finished yet.

He snarled and bared his now fang-like teeth, similar to an animal, as his eyes were pitch black and his pupils glowed bright red. Tod quickly looked over to the crate he couldn't lift before, encasing it in a brighter aura than ever before; he lifted the crate before immediately throwing it back to the ground, showing no mercy and shattering it into a million pieces.

Still, Tod remained unsatisfied so he glanced around to look for something else, anything inanimate to take his anger out on. He soon looked up and noticed Happy Hook, to which he quickly grabbed the crane's arm with the same red magic and effortlessly ripping it off. Diesel Ten stayed silent as he watched from a distance, and he was utterly surprised by Tod's sudden burst of strength.

Tod crumbled up the part of the crane arm he gained, throwing it across the room while snarling again; he then backed up and finally saw Diesel Ten. Once the said diesel was in his sights, Tod roared like a dragon, his eyes lighting up even brighter like fiery orbs.

Much to Tod's surprise, Diesel ten remained calm and still as he charged towards him, and he prepared to use even more magic in his blind rage. But in a split second, Tod found himself completely immobile; he grunted and mumbled in confusion before looking back at Diesel Ten.

Diesel Ten's eyes were black and red, too, and a much larger, transparent red claw formed around the solid one on his roof. Without warning, the solid claw and the intangible one swung in a full circle before coming back around and sideswiping Tod with brute force, sending him flying off the tracks and sliding across the room. Sparks flew from metal scraping against concrete, until Tod finally stopped when he crashed into a wall, denting his boiler and smokestack.

Tod lay there for countless moments, huffing from the pain and loss of energy; soon, his fangs flattened back to normal, and his eyes faded until they were white and his pupils black again. But what he didn't notice was the burning sensation on both of his side tanks; though, Diesel Ten easily noticed, chuckling darkly as he approached.

"What…was that for?" Tod finally asked, his voice strained and hoarse.

"Number one rule between any teacher and student: The student never gets to challenge the teacher until they're fully fledged," Diesel Ten growled, his eyes stilled glued to the bright yellow light on Tod's boiler.

"It's not my fault," Tod huffed.

"Oh, of course it isn't. And you have nothing to be ashamed of, either. You've proven yourself quite worthy of my next level of training—I might even tell you who you really are soon," Diesel Ten reassured, grinning while using his own magic to lift Tod and gently set him down on the track in front of him.

"That'd be great, but just promise me you won't tell anyone about my little— _episode_. Please, Diesel Ten."

"Fear not. I won't tell a soul. Just be careful not to let anyone see your powers." Diesel Ten paused as he took another quick glance at the new bold, yellow 01 on Tod's side tanks. "Or else people might assume the worst."

* * *

 **Tod still has a long way to go, but he's certainly made a lot of progress today. And just so you know, Diesel Ten knows more than he let's on...**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


End file.
